Remember
by rooseveltritz
Summary: It's summer in the 70s, and Ember McLain seems to be living the teen romance dream. But when things turn for the bad, she doesn't know how to escape.


"You promise you'll love me forever?" I asked Kenneth as we stood underneath the dying oak tree in my front yard. "Don't make me say it twice." Kenneth chuckled, kissing my forehead. "You're my one and only, Ember." I felt myself blushing as I tucked a lock of red hair behind my ear, only to have it fall in front of my face again. "Why do you do that?" Kenneth suddenly asked. "Do what?" I inquired. "Try to get your hair behind your ears," he said, stroking the two pieces of hair that always framed my face. "I like it this way." I blushed again. "I don't know, I guess it's just a habit." Kenneth laughed. "Well promise me you'll never change your hairstyle." he said. "I promise," I said, before kissing him. It wasn't too big of a promise. I almost always wore my wavy red hair in a high ponytail. But if it made Kenneth happy, I would never change it.

I guess I should introduce myself. Ember McLain. I live in a tiny city that doesn't really need to be named. Even if I did name it, you probably wouldn't know it anyway. Nobody ever does. But that's okay... with a small city there are less people. And with less people you are never really forgotten. I have this _thing _about being forgotten. I hate it. I guess you could call it a bit of a phobia. My biggest fear is to be forgotten by someone you love. Thank god I have Kenneth. He loves me and I love him, and I am sure we will never, ever forget one another.

I guess you were wondering how I managed to meet Kenneth. It all began one usual July morning in my little town. I was in my room, getting ready to meet my friend Julie to spend a day downtown. It may have been a tiny city, but there was a pretty rockin' downtown area. It was perfect to spend some time away from the droning parental units and spend time with your friends and other teenagers. I heard my doorbell ring, and I headed downstairs. I opened the door and saw Julie standing there with some guy. "Um... hey, Julie. Who's this?" I asked. Julie laughed and linked her arm with the boy. "This is Chester. My new boyfriend. Chester, this is Ember, one of my closest friends!" I shook Chester's hand. "Hey," I said, trying to look cool. I turned to Julie. "Are we still going to hang?" I asked. Julie laughed airily. "Of course, Ember! Let's get going!"

The three of us headed downtown and that began one of the most boring days of my life. The whole time I just tagged along as Julie and Chester shopped, giggled, and kissed. Around noon, we had found a street fair and I was sick of their lovebird-yness. "You guys, I'm going to head to the diner down the street and grab a milkshake. Alright?" I said as they looked in the mirror at themselves wearing funny hats. "Okay, Ember. Catch ya later!" Julie said, not even looking back at me. I stormed away. "Dipsticks..." I grumbled to myself.

I got to the diner and sat down on a stool at the milkshake bar. I ordered myself a chocolate shake and I sat there, staring at the fake marble counter. "Is this seat taken?" I suddenly heard. The voice was coming from my left. I turned warily and found myself facing a really handsome guy. "Uh, no. Unless you're talking about the one I'm sitting in. Because if so... then... yes." I managed a weak chuckle. The guy just smirked at me and took the seat next to me. "I'm Kenneth." he introduced himself, offering his hand. "Ember." I said, taking it. We shook and then turned to face forward. "So... are you new around here?" I asked, hoping to start conversation. "Kinda, yeah," Kenneth said. "I just moved in at the beginning of summer. I don't really know anyone. And I don't have any friends." I turned to him. "Well, now you can say you have a friend!" I blurted out. "Who?" Kenneth asked, looking genuinely confused. My shoulders slumped. "Me, you dipstick." I growled, turning away.

Kenneth gasped. "Oh! No, I just... I didn't think... oh, forget it." he mumbled. I looked at him from the corner of my eye. "...What?" I asked. Kenneth scratched the back of his head. "Nothing. It's just... I'm not used to talking to girls. Especially not pretty ones like you." I could see his tanned cheeks turning slightly pink and I felt my stomach do a complete one-eighty turn. Kenneth looked at me and I giggled. "Wow, I don't know what to say... do you really think I'm pretty?" Kenneth nodded. "Hey, how about I prove it to you?" He asked. "Do you want to hang out today?" I nodded. "Yeah!" I said. Kenneth grinned and got up from his seat. "Let's go, then! We need lots of time if I'm going to prove to you how pretty I think you are." he said. I giggled, but then looked at my shake, which was sitting in front of me in a waxed paper cup. "Okay, but what about my shake?" I asked. Kenneth smirked at me. "Just take it and run as fast as you can." I furrowed my brow, but grinned mischievously. "Why not?" I laughed. I grabbed the cup and Kenneth and I dashed out of the diner.

And that turned the worst day ever into the best day ever. Kenneth and I hung out all day, just talking and bonding and getting closer. At night, we decided to sit on top of a hill and watch a drive in movie. "You know, it really isn't that great without the sound." Kenneth chuckled. "I think it's fine," I said, snuggling up next to him and grinning up at him. Kenneth smiled down at me. "I guess you're right," he said. And suddenly, he kissed me.

I guess the rest is history. Kenneth and I had an amazing summer together. Even as September rolled around and we got ready for the school year... albeit at different schools... we were still closer than ever. And as we stood under the oak tree in my front yard, I was optimistic about our future. I pressed myself against him. "How can I prove to you how much I love you?" I asked him. Kenneth kissed the top of my head. "I know of a way..." he said. He took my hand and walked me over to his beat up Mustang. He opened the back door and we both climbed in. The minute he closed the door, he started kissing me. His kisses got hotter and hotter and I took off my flimsy cardigan. Kenneth pulled off his windbreaker and ran his hands up the back of my yellow tank top. He kept kissing me as he ran his hands down my front and started fumbling with the buttons on my bellbottoms. I didn't stop him. Somehow we both ended up in our underwear. Kenneth stopped kissing me and looked deep into my green eyes. "I love you so much. Are you ready?" he whispered. "I surrender." I whispered back, smiling into his eyes. Kenneth smirked as he pushed me backwards onto the car seat.

The next day, I anxiously awaited Kenneth's call. I had been wondering all day what he felt about what happened the day before. Finally, I gave up and called him. His mother picked up the phone. "Hey, is Kenneth home?" I asked her. "Um, no. Who's calling?" his mother asked.

"Uh, it's Ember. Ember McLain. His girlfriend..."  
"Oh, he never told me about you! Have you both recently started dating?"

"Not exactly," I said, confused. I hung up the phone and sat back down at my kitchen table. My own mother walked into the kitchen at that moment. "Hello, honey. Is something wrong?" she asked. "No, mother!" I shouted, stomping up to my room. "Ember!" I heard my mother yell after me. I slammed the door and I heard my mother's footsteps running up the stairs. "Ember McLain, how many times have I told you not to talk back?" she shouted through the door. "Gee, mom. I don't know! I never thought to _count_!" I shouted back. My mother flung open my door. "That's it, young lady! You are _grounded_. That means no phone, no television, and no going out! For two weeks!" She stepped out of my room and slammed the door behind her. I punched my pillow. "Great!" I said to myself. "_Now_ how am I supposed to talk to Kenneth?"

It turned out it didn't matter. He didn't call once during my grounding. I was a wreck. It wasn't possible for my parents to tell Kenneth that he couldn't call me... they didn't even know I had a boyfriend! On the second to last night of my grounding, I couldn't handle it anymore. I had to go see Kenneth! I planned to wait until my parents fell asleep... then I would sneak out to see him.

That night, I checked on my parents a while after they went to bed. I heard my dad's snoring and knew that it was go-time. I opened my window slowly and crept down the oak tree. Almost all the leaves had fallen off of it. The minute, I touched ground, I made a running dash towards Kenneth's house.  
It wasn't a long distance. I made it there within seven minutes. I stood in Kenneth's front yard and walked up the path to his front door. I was about to ring the bell when I heard laughing from inside. A girl laughing. And Kenneth didn't have any sisters. I crouched down and peeked into his window. There was Kenneth, sitting on the couch with his arm around a blonde bimbo! I watched as he brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her. I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I couldn't believe what he had done. I got up and ran all the way home, tears streaming down my face.

I flung open my front door and was greeted by my parents, who did not look happy in the slightest. "Where have you been?" my father boomed. "What does it matter?" I screamed, pushing past them and running upstairs. I threw myself on my bed and cried into my pillow until I fell asleep.

The next morning, I couldn't even get out of bed. I had been forgotten. _Forgotten_. By someone who I loved and who I thought loved me. I even gave myself to him. And he went and just forgot everything. Everything he ever said to me. Or rather, all the _lies _he ever fed me. The only time I got up was when the doorbell rang and my mother called me down. I reached the foot of the stairs and my mother went up to me. "You have a visitor. But make it quick. We still have to have a talk about your late night _antics_." she hissed at me. I sneered at her and turned to look at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was a sweaty, tied back mess and my face was all puffy. I opened the front door and gasped. My visitor was _Kenneth_!

I closed the door behind me, crossed my arms and glared at him while standing on the stoop. "What do you want?" I snapped. Kenneth's smile faded. "What's wrong, baby?" he asked, putting his hands on my arms. I shook them off. "Don't _baby_ me! You haven't called in _two weeks_. And I _saw_ you last night, you dipstick! With that... that _tramp_!" I yelled. Kenneth's face darkened. "Funny how you call her a tramp, Ember. Especially when you so willingly went into the backseat with me two weeks ago!" he snipped. I gasped. "I... I thought you _loved _me! I didn't think you'd abandon me the next day and then go galavanting with some other girl!" I screeched. Kenneth started roaring with laughter. "Love? _Love_! Get with the program, Ember! It's _1974_. Teenage _love_ doesn't exist anymore!" He yelled. I felt the tears approach again. "Get lost." I mumbled, as I pushed past him and ran down the street towards the woods.

I didn't stop running until I hit a clearing that is usually reserved for camping. I fell down to the ground in the middle of the clearing and cried to myself. I couldn't believe how my life had gone from wonderful to horrible _so _quickly. I started thinking of ways to get revenge on anyone who ever hurt me. As the thoughts raged through my head, I grabbed a can of lighter fluid from the side of the campsite and a book of matches. In one swift movement, the cap was off the can and I was pouring it over my head. The tears mixed with the lighter fluid, and before I even realized what I was doing, I lit a match and dropped it on my shoe. The flames licked up along the fluid and I was engulfed in flames. As I screamed and fell to the ground, burning and dying, the same thought ran through my head...

_Let's see you all forget me now. Ember McLain. You will remember my name!_


End file.
